Disney sometimes sends out postcards and emails that offer deeply discounted Walt Disney World resort rates to the recipient. These mailings include special codes that can give the recipient great savings on their Disney vacation!Have you heard of the term “pin code,” but wondered what it was, exactly? Well, here’s the deal: A pin code is a discount offered by Disney that’s personal to the individual whose name it comes in. To use the code to take advantage of the discount on a new or existing booking, Disney will check to be sure that the name AND the address of the person using the offer matches their records. You can’t “share” a PIN code with a friend or family member, and you can’t “borrow” one either.

When can you get a pin code? These codes come out several months prior to the promotions that Disney offers to the public and they are usually room discounts or free dining offers. These special offers can be an indication of the kind of offers the general public will receive in the near future, but they generally cover a broader span of dates. Also, room discounts under a pin code are often better and cover more room categories than discounts offered to the general public. In the case of free dining, sometimes the only way to get this offer is via a PIN code. That’s why everyone wants to get a PIN code from Disney!

Can you ‘save’ your code until you’re ready to go to Disney? Not quite. Disney’s PIN code offers almost always include a specific window of time during which you must book the offer, and a corresponding window during which you must travel.

How does Disney decide who will get a pin code? I’m not sure anyone but the marketing gurus at Disney really know the answer to this. Looking at recent PIN code and public offers, you can begin to see that Disney’s marketing strategy is changing from what it has been in the past. In the past, Disney offered discounts to a broad group of consumers. Today, Disney (like many other brands) is marketing directly to certain groups of consumers rather than releasing lots of broad offers to the general public. Often Disney will target certain regions of the country, or certain neighborhoods of certain cities. All the data they collect at their websites and now with the Magic Bands helps Disney target their desired consumer.Which resorts and room types are included in these offers? Disney is being cagey about what resorts and room types they include in all their offers. We are seeing more resorts and room types being excluded and we are seeing more limited quantities of rooms included in the offer---meaning Disney isn’t offering ALL the rooms in a particular category, only some of them. This is very frustrating for your and for us as your travel agents! We think this is happening because when PIN code offers come out, they do such a great job of selling rooms at resorts like Art of Animation and Port Orleans, that those rooms don’t “need” to be included in the offers to the general public. That’s why we are telling our clients to book these new offers quickly—because availability really is very limited!!So, how do you get a PIN code from Disney? Everyone has ideas about how to increase your chances of getting one. Most of these ideas include one basic principle: Sign up at the Disney site! Here are some others: · Go to Disneyworld.com and create an account. · If you already have a Disneyworld.com account, make sure your profile includes your CURRENT address and the email address you are currently using. · Check your SPAM folder for emails from Disney! Other great ideas to increase your chances of getting a PIN code include · requesting the FREE vacation planning video, · ordering customized Disney World maps and · signing up at DisneyStore.com. · Disney Visa Cardholders frequently get great offers just before offers are given to the general public too.Please don’t worry that having a trip already booked decreases your chances of getting a PIN code---this is NOT TRUE! My colleagues and I have some clients that get PIN codes all the time and we have lots of clients that have never gotten one. Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust…and making sure you and your spouse are signed up at Disney.com with your current info can help!

What do you do if you’ve booked a trip with Mickey’s Dream Vacations and you get a PIN code in the mail or in your email? Call your Dream Maker with the 16 digit number in the offer along with the name and full address on the mailing. We’ll apply the PIN to your booking and save you $$!Are you one of the lucky ones? Did you get a PIN code? Email or call your Dream Maker at Mickey’s Dream Vacations today and we’ll help you use your code to save you money on your dream vacation!